The Light That Never Goes Out
by babyohh
Summary: "..there was something good that came from these games. Him. And i knew i could never bring myself to kill him. I watched as he slowly approached me, knife in his hand." Story of Sienna and Blake, 2 tributes from district 1 brought together by the games.


**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games only the characters in this fanfic.**

Just a little something different and random i wrote in my spare time :)

.

I grabbed my black gym bag from my desk then sprinted out the door and down the stairs.

"Sien-"

"SORRY MOM GONNA BE LATE SEEYA LATER" I yell out before flying through the door.

And then I sprint for my life to the studio. I scoff as I realised the statement was actually quite true. Another strenuous day of dance. But I guess that's the cons of living in District 1. We provide luxury items for the Capitol... but ten years earlier they decided that that meant lavish performances as well mainly for their celebrations. So dance was introduced into our district. And from then on all girls and boys from the age of 8 onwards had to enroll for the possible future placement in the dance team.

Those who were ridiculously bad or... didn't have the body for it so to speak, became costume designers or prop makers or were just sent to the normal factories producing the luxury goods. I've been doing it for 9 years now. Unfortunately for me I had the perfect frame for dancing.. and could surprisingly move good too, and that unfortunately gave me a new unwanted position as dancer rather than 'career trainee'.

I couldn't choose which was better. Learning to fight for eventual entry into the Hunger Games, or learning to dance for amusement. Either way back then all that meant in my 8-year-old eyes was I'd have to entertain _them_. Capitol people. And it made me sick. From then on I tried everything I could to get out of it. It was easier said than done though, especially if you had as much "prospect" as I had. I refused to show up, I begged to placed into a factory, I complained whenever I had the chance to. Tried as I did, they still refused to let me go. And when they began to threaten my family warning me they would send Peacekeepers home I realised I couldn't win. And then suddenly I was a prop to the Capitol. For their entertainment.

The dance regime grew largely despite being enforced for only 10 years so far. The Capitol was very adamant about it whereas we District 1 people had other opinions. With such influence from them however, many of our Career training buildings slowly turned into studios. The focus for us now was for providing luxury goods and performances, not careers.

After that I had 6 hour days filled with dance. 2 hours early in the morning, then the next 4 in the afternoon. So I got used to the routine of dance-school-dance with eating and sleeping making appearances throughout the day. On weekends it was sort of better. It was only mandatory for 4 hours each day, and this was all mostly training to keep up our health and most importantly, physiques. We could come in whenever we wanted, just as long as we actually showed up. At least I still had a bit of freedom. This was the routine every year and at the start of new enrolments they would mention the people moving up grades. I moved up every year until I couldn't anymore. I have been in Grade 6 for three years now.

I could feel the blisters in my feet aching but if I was more than 5mins late Ms. Macker would definitely find some sort of exhausting punishment for me to do. Again.

Rounding the corner I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw everyone just starting to file in. Just on time! I was dizzy from the long sprint and stood outside to catch my breath and bearings.

"Hey loser! I mean, Sienna,"

I look up to see Von towering over me, a smirk tracing his lips.

"Nice to see you too," I manage to reply, too tired to think of something nasty to say back.

He laughs and we make our way into the studio.

Von. My best friend since… that very first day of enrolment. I'll always remember the time Billy Stine tripped me because he wanted to see up my skirt, and then Von pushing him over, holding onto his shorts making sure everyone saw _his_ underwear. He then proceeded to yell "How you like that huh!"a numerous amount of time and since then we've become the best of friends. He's the only person I trust in the whole district.

As we walk in Ms. Macker instructs the group as per usual, although she didn't have to, and really I didn't know why she still did. We were the top grade 6 group, and you'd think she'd get we've been doing this for too long to not know what to do.

"Okay guys get into pairs and we'll start the warm up!"

Von's hands find mine and suddenly my body has a mind of its own.

Class goes quick after that. We were starting the preps for our new performance, called 'The Nutcracker' that was apparently a very popular ballet number, before the rise of Panem. That meant today there was hardly any real dancing but more of an overview on the actual performance. I heartened when she said it was a ballet number. That was my strongest form.

"We'll be performing this in 2 weeks for President Snow's granddaughters' birthday. Unfortunately our preparations interlude with the Reapings so all lead roles will have understudy's incase one of you are chosen."

My mind suddenly started buzzing as soon as the word 'Reapings' was said. Was it already that time of year? _In case one of you are chosen_… My heart starts pounding and I feel sick. Someone grips my arm. Von realises something is wrong and that's when I get up and bolt to the nearest toilet, the sickness finding a way out. Everything goes black.

The reapings. The hunger games. All of it is clouding my thoughts. I've had nightmares about this ever since my name was entered into that huge transparent ball. Every year. Since I was 12. Now I'm 17 and that means my name will be entered in 6 times. Lucky I didn't need tessarae. I always had a feeling of guilt wash over me whenever I thought about the other districts and how their kids would do anything for a bit of extra food. Even strengthening their chances of being chosen for a fight to the death battle. And here I am complaining about long hours of forced dancing. Ha!

I guess all my fear harboured when District 1 were no longer to have careers. With the emergence of this whole new dance and entertainment matter the other career districts 2 and 4 isolated us from their crew and paired up together, not taking us seriously anymore. And I guess it was within reason, with all the new allocated dance classes in our timetables there was hardly any more time for careers to be trained. Or so they thought. Our training on the weekends easily compensated. They were extremely strenuous even though they were just 4 hours long. We were still as strong as any of them, maybe more so with our abilities to move with such grace, silence, agility and precision. That's why on occasional years our tributes may be invited into the careers. That solely depended on the individuals though.

And the individuals really could be anyone now. No more careers meant no more volunteers and that meant everyone was fair game. As long as your name was plastered across just one of the papers in that huge ball, then you were not safe. Not anymore.

"Sienna… are you alright?"

It wasn't Von's voice as I had been expecting, but a slightly deeper toned one and I was not one hundred percent sure I knew the owner. I was not even sure where I was exactly but my body was on a cold surface, limp, and there was a foul taste in my mouth. I opened my eyes slowly then hastily shot up when I realised it was Blake.

Ahh Blake. Classic tall and handsome kind of guy, who clearly does not take advantage of all the swooning girls throwing themselves at him. In fact, he's a very quiet boy and I have never heard him speak before despite having been in school and dance together, until now.

Being so close to him I notice some of his striking features. His bronze hair was short and tousled in a messy kind of do, but he pulled it off. His eyes were a striking emerald green colour and he had a heart-melting crooked smile. Not that my heart was melting….

Personally I never found Blake as attractive as all those other girls seemed to… but there was something about the close proximity we had to eachother and that ridiculously good looking smile that made my heart beat irregular.

"Uhhhh..." and my thoughts were slightly incoherent. Dam. What was I going to say?

"... what happened sorry?" I manage to spit out, my thoughts slowly starting to process. It must have been the fall. As his smile turned into a short chuckle, the incoherency started to cloud again. Yep, definitely the fall.

"Well you ran off during the prep… puked all over the boys' locker room… then passed out. But luckily you _just_ missed your puke on your way down."

I look to where his eyes shot a glance at and notice nothing there.

"Ms. Macker told me to check up on you," he continues "Oh and don't worry I cleaned it all up for you. You owe me now though," and again that crooked smile emerges.

"Oh," I was suddenly wary of my vomit breath and the fact that our close proximity didn't appear to have changed. He was still very close. I got up slowly and noticed the pain in my left thigh. Rubbing it gently I made my way to the sink and gargled the hideous taste out of my mouth. I turned around and realised he was watching me.

Our gaze met with a strange intenseness as his emeralds bore into my own eyes. Suddenly he dropped his stare to the floor then quickly got up. "Well umm you look alright just call out if you need anything, I'll be outside,"

"Wait I-" and before I know it he's out the door.

"…just wanted to say thanks," I say to myself.

"Are you sure you're okay!" Von says as we finally get dismissed and make our familiar route home.

"Yes I am fine Von!" I reply for what seemed like the 100th time.

"Sorry… just making sure… you know I was the one who wanted to go after you but Macker sent that Blake instead," I didn't miss the trace of disgust in his voice as he said Blake.

"He's not so bad," I reply and Von looks at me questioningly. "I mean, he cleaned up my puke. It was nice of him," I backtrack.

There was an uncomfortable pause as neither of us knew what to say. Von opened and closed his mouth a number of times then finally spoke with hardness in his eyes.

"I want you to stay away from him."

I stop in my tracks and look up at him in shock "What? Why?"

"Because…" his eyes wandered to the floor and when he spoke again there was an unmistakable tone of warning. "Because he's not good. You need to trust me on this one okay Sienna. I want you to promise me you will stay away from him." It wasn't a question. It was a demand. And suddenly I was angry.

"What are you to tell me what to do?" I shoot, the rage slowly building up in me. He was taken aback by my sudden retort and his feeling of hurt traced every outline on his face. But I couldn't stop. "He might actually be a nice guy Von! You don't even know him, I don't either but what are you to tell me who I can or can't see!"

"I don't need to know him! I've heard enough to know to stay away from him!"

"Yeah well that's your choice. Who I choose to be friends with is not your concern."

"I'm just trying to protect you!"

"I DON'T NEED YOUR PROTECTION!" and suddenly I'm running. Away from him and away from the pain that slowly begins to ache into me as memories suddenly start flooding in. How dare he act like _him_. The boy I miss with all my heart, the boy who was taken away from me last year during the games. My brother Claude.


End file.
